Replicating a nanoscale pattern onto a substrate from a mold, and a polarizer for UV and visible light thus produced.
It is common practice to produce a pattern composed of depressions and/or protrusions in a mold, for example, a metal mold. The mold is then used in accordance with pressing or printing technology to reproduce the mold pattern. However, the resolution achieved with such procedure is generally limited to several microns.
Accordingly, lithography technology has been resorted to in forming patterns involving sub-micron dimensions. Such processes have been used in the production of integrated circuits and other semiconductor devices. However, the process tends to be complex, and to require expensive equipment. These problems are exacerbated where patterns involving nanometer dimensions are to be produced.
This led to the development of nanoimprint lithography for fabricating imprint patterns having nanometer dimensions. Such procedures involve producing a nanometer-scale pattern in a mold. The mold may be a rigid material, such as a metal or a dielectric. The pattern on the mold may be produced by electron beam, or x-ray lithography. The desired pattern, or a negative depending on the procedure, is then created by etching.
The procedure works well on articles having small surfaces upon which an individual, printing procedure can be employed. However, it is often desirable to print a larger, and/or repetitive, pattern on a large surface with precision. This may be a single article, such as a display panel, or a large sheet to be subdivided into a plurality of smaller articles. One area of potential application is polarizers, particularly grating polarizers for UV and visible light. Another application is production of structures used in biochemical, analysis procedures.
It is a basic purpose of the present invention to provide an improved method of producing a nanometer-scale pattern by mold imprinting.
Another purpose is to provide a method of producing a precision, nanometer-scale pattern on a large surface, such as a display panel.
A further purpose is to produce a plurality of identical, nanometer-scale patterns on a large surface.
A still further purpose is to provide a simple, inexpensive, rolling device for producing a nanometer-scale pattern by mold imprinting.
A particular purpose is to provide an improved grating polarizer for UV or visible light.
The invention resides, in part, in a method of replicating a nanoscale pattern which comprises forming the nanoscale pattern on the surface of a cylindrical roller, providing a substrate surface upon which the pattern is to be replicated, and transferring the nanoscale pattern onto the substrate surface to provide replication(s).
The invention further resides in a device for replicating a nanoscale pattern on a substrate, the device comprising a cylindrical roller carrying the nanoscale pattern on its cylindrical surface.
The invention also resides in a grating polarizer comprising a substrate having elongated, parallel lines of metal in a nanoscale pattern that are transferred to the substrate from a cylindrical roller.